Rekindled Flames
by BrDPirateMan
Summary: The official sequel to In The Rain. Set two years after the first tale, Neku returns to Japan after six months of study in America and reunites with Shiki.  Suspension of disbelief about unprotected sex is necessary.


**Rekindled Flames  
**by BrDPirateMan

Excitement. Impatience. Trepidation.

These and countless other emotions were swirling around inside Shiki as she stood around in the arrival hall of the airport. Today was the big day that everyone had been waiting for, and boy was she nervous. She couldn't stop fidgeting with her glasses every two minutes or so, and more than once she thought she heard the voice of the boy she loved, hollering at her. Hope would rise within, but when she looked, only disappointment greeted her when all she would see was but a sea of unrecognizable people.

Sensing her growing unease, her best buddy Eri wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, why so glum, Shiki?" she said, smiling. "Are you afraid your boyfriend wouldn't come?"

"Boyfriend?" Shiki spluttered by instinct. Before everyone knew about her significant other, she had tried her best to conceal their relationship, for fear that they would be teased forever, though to be frank, the teasing had already begun by then. "Oh, well, I'm fine... I guess."

"Don't worry about him," Eri consoled her, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "He'll turn up. Has there ever been a time when he let us down?"

"No, never…"

"Phones'll be here, yo!" piped up Beat, another friend of hers and a skateboard enthusiast. "I'ma sure of it."

His little sister, Rhyme, who had grown much taller over the years, added sagely, "Patience is a virtue, Shiki. I know it's a drag to wait, but relax! He'll come."

Shiki brightened up seeing how much her friends were supporting her. "Thanks, everyone."

"Still, I'll have to agree with Rhyme there," said a restless Eri, "It's annoying to wait for so long. I mean, seriously, what's with the airport staff? Do they work in slow-motion or something?"

As Eri, Beat and Rhyme started talking again, Shiki's mind wandered off to the deepest corners of her psyche, where memories both good and bad resided. She searched through them, found a particular one, and played it in her head, much like how one plays a song on a CD player.

She wound back time, brought herself back to two years earlier…

XOXOXOXOXO

About two years ago, when both Shiki and her boyfriend Neku were seventeen years old, they secretly went camping together in a forest somewhere in the heart of a largely rural part of Japan. Back then, their relationship was strictly low-key, although Eri and company could more or less guess that they were more than just friends.

They went on this camping trip to relieve themselves of the stress and strain that were part and parcel of life in bustling Shibuya. As it turned out, they would relieve more than just that...

Blazing with sexual tension, Neku had made the initiative, and on the very day they set up camp they ended up making love to each other. One of the reasons their first experience was so memorable was the fact that the way they carried it out was unorthodox: rather than do it on a bed like almost everyone else, they opted to have it in the great outdoors, surrounded by nature and with the rain bearing down on their writhing bodies. After that their relationship would never be the same again, but it was in a good way, of course.

Shiki woke up in the wee hours of the night to the lightest of kisses on her lips. Without opening her eyes, she mumbled, "Mmm… Neku… What's up?"

"Nothing," he whispered in the best husky voice he could muster. "I'm just giving you sweet dreams."

Her eyes cracked open, and in the darkness, she found Neku half-draped over her, his body as bare as hers. The lantern was not lit and she could barely see anything. While the blackness of night was something that she was never comfortable with, Neku's presence so near to her was warm and reassuring. She felt that with him by her side she could tackle her greatest nightmares.

Neku leaned in for another kiss, and this time she reciprocated. He broke apart after a while, and they lay side by side, their naked bodies exposed in the privacy of their tent. In the silence, the only things that were audible were the sounds of their breathing and their beating hearts. Hours after their consummation, Shiki's body was still tingling from her newfound sensations. She never for once thought that it would be so… refreshing.

"Shiki," said Neku, "We've just got one more year in high school and then we'll be off to college."

"Mm-hmm… Time flies, huh? It's already been a year since the Reapers' Game… and now we're seventeen and we already had… well…" Shiki blushed, recalling what they did together in the morning. "…well, you know…"

Neku laughed softly, giving her a quick peek on the cheek. "You were more amazing than I ever imagined. But seriously, we'll all graduate in a year's time. Any plans for the future?"

Suddenly Shiki found herself at a loss for words. She had been so busy with schoolwork, designing and making new clothes with Eri, and in short having fun living out her life to the fullest. But she had not stopped to ponder about what was up ahead. The crossroads that she would eventually encounter were steadily approaching but it was still unclear which way to go. Neku's question served as a wake-up call for her.

"I… To be honest, I haven't thought much about it. Um, what about you, Neku?"

There was a slight pause as he thought hard.

"You know how I said I'm into graphic design?" he said at last, as a prelude to his answer.

"Yeah, you did express interest in working with CAT's team."

"My parents and I had a discussion about where I should go to take up a course in that field, and they decided that it'd be best for me to go to America."

This piece of news was completely unexpected and came as a shock to Shiki. On one hand, she was happy that Neku was able to pursue his dreams, but on the other…

"Why, that's wonderful, Neku!" said Shiki, trying to sound genuinely happy for him, though it was hard. "You'll finally be able to do what you always wanted to do! Right?"

"Yeah…" His voice trailed off.

"Neku?"

Another small pause. "Shiki, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

He was a sharp one. Even in nearly pitch black conditions, when her facial expression was all but hidden, he could tell that her heart was far from calm. He knew that something was eating at her. And he had a fair idea what it was.

"Shiki, are you worried about not being able to see me?" he asked. He had hit the bull's-eye. And the gasp that escaped from her throat confirmed this fact.

"Neku… I…" Shiki began, her voice breaking with emotion. "I'm really glad that you can get closer to your goal of working with CAT, I really am. But if you're going to America, we wouldn't be able to see each other for… for so long…"

The truth had to be faced, sooner or later. Neku didn't want to hurt Shiki with it, but it seemed that she got hurt anyway. "I have to admit that about six months at a time in a foreign country is quite long," he said, choosing his words carefully.

"That's what worries me," said Shiki, silent tears welling up in her eyes at the prospect of not being able to hug and kiss her boyfriend for six whole months. Half a year she would spend without his soothing touch, or his warm lips on her neck…

She continued, "I care about you so much, Neku. But if we're so far away from each other, will we drift apart? That's what I'm scared of. The future scares me."

"Shiki," said Neku, his tone warm but sad, "I understand exactly what you mean. I don't want to feel lonely too… I tried time and again to convince my parents to send me to a college somewhere here, in Japan. But they insisted that the American university that they had in mind was far better. I don't think I've got much of a choice here…"

"Is there really… none?"

"Don't worry, Shiki!" Neku comforted Shiki as best as he could. "I'll try to come back every six months when they have their semester breaks. And when I graduate and I'm done with the States, I'll definitely come back to find you."

"Neku… I…" she sniffled, letting warm tears trickle down her cheeks.

He reached over and hugged her close, and everything was alright again. She hugged him back, basking in his warmth and loving the gentle graze of his skin on hers. The road ahead for her wouldn't be easy, and she had no idea if life in America would change Neku for better or for worse, but he had yet to abuse her trust and she knew he wasn't the type to do anything disagreeable.

"E-mail wouldn't be the same as talking in person," he said, "but let's stay in touch, okay?"

"Okay." Shiki wiped her eyes dry.

"You're the only one for me, Shiki," he said, kissing her briefly on the lips.

"I feel the same way about you too, Neku."

XOXOXOXOXO

Fast forward to a year and a half later, when everyone had finally graduated and said good riddance to high school. Rhyme was still stuck dealing with the tumultuous happenings of secondary education, but then again, being younger than everyone else, she was an understandable exception.

However, that didn't stop her from joining in the absolutely compulsory celebratory night out, for her friends to mark the end of school life and the beginning of true freedom.

Suddenly everyone was scattered in different directions, headed for different destinies. Shiki and Eri happened to enrol in the same exact college in Japan, taking up the same fashion course. When they knew they would be together in all their classes, they couldn't stop squealing with joy. The excitement of working together to achieve great heights was simply too much for words. Beat wasn't really one for studying, and after much consultation with his parents, he decided to forgo attending university altogether and find a job as a chef in a restaurant. It played to his strengths, so why not? The most famous ramen shop in town, Ramen Don, would be a good stepping stone for him.

Neku's friends were sad to know that he had to leave his comfort zone in Japan to study abroad in America, with nothing but instant messaging and the Pacific Ocean between them. He didn't particularly want to go to the States either, for his own sake and for Shiki's, but his path had already been forged for him so he had to walk it and see it through.

Shiki vividly remembered the day before his departure. They were having one final walk together through the streets of Shibuya, talking about whatever was under the sun. After spending the entire day with each other, Shiki brought him back to her apartment. To seal her trustworthiness with him and vice versa, they engaged in a particularly heartfelt kiss, a sort of promise to remain faithful to each other no matter how great the odds may be. In no time at all, clothes were shed.

After the final spasm of pleasure shook her and she lay sweaty and breathless atop Neku, she knew it would be a long time before they could get intimate again. And no matter how advanced the internet was, no IM service could replace the wonderful feeling that arose from holding hands with the one she loved.

She could have sobbed from the crushing reality of it all.

But Neku's kind words made her feel so much better. "I love you, Shiki. Wait for me. Promise me you'll wait, because I will definitely come back."

"I promise," she breathed, looking straight into his sapphire eyes before kissing him.

XOXOXOXOXO

One semester had ended for Neku, and he was due to come back today. Shiki and the rest of his friends were eagerly waiting for the appearance of the boy with the famous orange mane.

What felt like an eternity flew by, but still Shiki waited for him patiently. _He'll be here,_ she thought. _He'll be here for sure._

Eri was scanning the crowd with a hand over her eyebrows. The tedium from finding nothing at every turn was getting to her, but at least there were some cute guys around to make things more bearable. Where's that little wisp of orange that meant Neku was nearby? More than once there had been several false alarms, in the form of someone's hat that happened to be orange, or someone with the exact same hairdo as him, but was the wrong person.

As it turned out, apart from these cases, the colour orange was all but absent.

"Come on, Phones!" grumbled Beat, who often grew irritated when he was hungry, like now. "Hurry up, man…"

"Beat, there's no use grumbling," said Rhyme, making sure he didn't do anything stupid, "It wouldn't make Neku come back any faster. And… wait. What?"

She was staring pointedly in a single direction. Puzzled, everyone followed her gaze. And they were profoundly shocked at what they saw.

A single person, lugging a giant suitcase, was lumbering towards them, tired from the long journey back home, but happy nonetheless to see his longtime pals waiting for him. He flashed them a broad smile, and was tempted to laugh at their wide-eyed, dumbfounded expressions.

They couldn't believe it. It was Neku! He had returned!

The 20-hour flight, plagued with less than satisfactory food, boring in-flight magazines and uninteresting TV programs that repeated themselves ad nauseum, had made him thoroughly exhausted and jaded. Jet lag had made him slightly dizzy and unsteady on his feet, but otherwise he was fine. Upon seeing Shiki in person for the first time in six long months, his eyes lit up.

"I'm back," he said, beaming.

"Yo!" Beat was the first one to return his greeting.

Overcome with emotion, Shiki began to tremble as sobs of pure joy racked her body. Wasting no more time, she ran straight for Neku and almost slammed into him, grabbing him in a tighter-than-usual bear hug. He nearly lost his balance; had Shiki been any stronger, they would have tumbled to the floor.

Shiki knew that she was hugging him in public and in full view of their friends, but she didn't care anymore. She was only too glad to know that he had returned in all his good-natured glory and in one piece. She was happy to see that he was alright, and waiting equally eagerly to hold her in his arms. As he wrapped his arms around her, he caressed her hair gently, as she continued to weep and bury her head into his shoulder.

"I told you, Shiki," he whispered into her ear, "I told you I'll be back."

"I know," sniffed Shiki, hardly able to form coherent words with her shaking voice. "Thank you, Neku."

"Aww, look at the husband and wife in their tender loving embrace!" chirped Eri, walking over with Beat and Rhyme. "It's so darn touching! I could cry at any moment."

Normally, whenever Neku and Shiki were teased about their relationship, they would vehemently deny any and all accusations. But at nineteen years of age and close to becoming retired teenagers, they had grown much wiser and more mature over the years, and saw no need to act bashful in the face of harmless jokes. Neku smiled and greeted everyone by name.

With Shiki still latched onto him, he freed one hand to deliver a high five to Eri, a knuckle bump to Beat, and a relatively proper handshake to Rhyme. The first thing they noticed was his hair. It lacked the blazing colour that it was known for. "Your hair isn't orange anymore, yo," said Beat. "Didja have it dyed or something?"

"Nah, I didn't do anything," replied Neku, "I grew it out. Got tired of having to dye it all the time. This is my original hair colour."

"Brown hair!" cooed Rhyme, reaching up to ruffle his locks playfully. "Cute!"

"Um, Shiki," said Eri politely to her still crying friend, "you might want to let go now… Otherwise Neku wouldn't be able to walk!"

"Sorry," stammered Shiki, releasing Neku from her death grip. She rubbed her tears away and gazed right into his eyes, taking a deep breath before saying, "Neku… Welcome back home."

"Shiki… Guys… Nothing can say how glad I am –"

Unable to contain his hunger anymore, Beat unceremoniously broke the moment by crying out in his trademark friendly manner, "Yo! Howsabout we go and celebrate this by getting us some grub! Come on! You must be dyin' for ramen, yo!" Rhyme shot him a glance as if to say, "Way to ruin the mood…" Shiki and Eri were glaring at him for interrupting Neku's grand speech.

But Neku was not the least annoyed. In fact, as he missed Beat's adorably silly attitude, he simply laughed it off. "Actually, I promised my parents I'd take care of some stuff with them first."

"Oh who cares. That can wait!"

"Beat…" sighed Rhyme in a fair degree of exasperation.

XOXOXOXOXO

Neku spent the first day of his vacation at his parents' house, where he had a joyful reunion. Aside from the incessant questions about how he was faring with his studies and whether the food in the States was any better than Japanese cuisine, he had a respectable enough time.

The next day – evening, to be exact – Eri and company dragged him out for his homecoming party. He was more than glad to go even if they didn't show up at his front door to forcibly extricate him from his house.

Everyone could have treated him to a meal at a grand restaurant, but as starving students with limited allowances, that simply wasn't possible. The best they could manage was an obscure sushi bar that just opened up. He had voiced his concern about them being too extravagant – sushi was still costly, after all – but they were adamant about making his return to Japan as memorable as they could. Still, having not tasted luscious _kappa-maki_ and octopus rolls for a long while, he wasn't complaining.

They were crowded around a table, having fun dining on various sushi and exchanging stories about life in their respective countries for the past half year. There was not a dull time to be had.

When the _sake_ was passed around, it didn't take long before everyone got gloriously tipsy. Only Rhyme didn't drink because she refrained from alcohol religiously. She tried a sip of _sake_ once and was plagued by the worst hangover the next day. Tonight she was the only one with a clear head.

A drunken Eri was relating a little story of hers with difficulty, some of the words coming out garbled and incomprehensible, "And then Ai was like, 'No way, I'm not making out with him!'" For the most part, everyone else understood and laughed heartily.

Neku and Shiki were sitting side by side. Once or twice he would secretly caress her thigh, sending goosebumps prickling all over her skin. Sometimes it was she who made the passes under the table, rubbing his knee affectionately. It felt so good for Neku to be back home and together with his true love.

"Beat, that's about enough _sake_ for one night," Rhyme chided her brother, who had recently picked up a liking for beer and whatnot.

"Oh, I'ma fine, yo," said Beat, his speech slurred. "_Sake_ ain't nothin' for me! I could take one more gulp, no problem!"

"Yeah, yeah! One more cup!" laughed Eri, though it was clear that she didn't know half of what she was saying. "One more!" She handed the bottle to Beat, who promptly helped himself to another cup which he downed expertly, much to Rhyme's dismay.

"E-Eri, don't egg him on!" she pleaded.

Neku and Shiki were careful not to overdo it with the alcohol, but they weren't exactly sober either. Still, at the very least, they had more self-control than their two drunken friends. Even in their inebriated state, they could still think somewhat rationally. Shiki was tapping his knee, which he took as a sign that she wanted to talk to him. Taking advantage of the ruckus that Eri and Beat were causing, he leaned closer so she could whisper into his ear.

"Neku, I haven't talked to you in ages," said Shiki softly, purposefully blowing her warm marmalade breath onto his cheek. "And I hate to be a downer, but could we go outside and chat?"

"How about we head back to your apartment?" smirked Neku, "I don't think we can get any peace with these two drunkards around. They'll probably interrupt us or something."

He had a point. Shiki hesitated, contemplating what to do. The apartment in question was a three-room unit that she had moved into so that commuting to college would be easier. Eri was sharing it with her, with both taking separate rooms for themselves. Neku had finally returned and all she wanted so badly was to talk and embrace and feel secure again. But she couldn't have Eri returning home together with her. The presence of another person in the same unit, even when it's in another room, would spoil her tender moments with her boyfriend. She wanted… no, needed total privacy.

As though in answer to her nagging thoughts, Neku said, "We could excuse ourselves for the night. I don't think they'd mind."

"I guess so…" muttered Shiki, slightly mortified from watching Eri stuff cucumber rolls down Beat's throat. "They look like they're enjoying themselves anyway. I think they'd love to stay."

Thus it was settled. They got up from their seats, and Rhyme blinked at them. "Going back home?"

"Yeah. We're getting tired," said Neku. "But guys, thanks so much for everything. It was fun hanging out with you tonight. Let's meet up again soon!"

"Aight, later, yo!" Beat mumbled, waving in the wrong direction.

"Take a cab!" advised Rhyme with genuine concern. "Don't drive; you're quite drunk."

"Ooh, have fun, you guys!" called Eri, and with her trademark cheekiness she joked, "Neku, make sure you go easy on Shiki. She's never done it… well, you know what I mean."

Neku laughed it off while Shiki's face grew a dark shade of red, and it wasn't from the alcohol. "G-Get your mind out of the gutter, Eri!" she snapped, amused. The embarrassing irony, however, was that she wasn't new to shenanigans in bed. She of all people knew that very well; she had surrendered her body to Neku two years ago during that camping trip…

But Eri, Beat and Rhyme knew nothing of this. If they did, they'd have a fit. Some skeletons were best kept in the closet where they belonged.

She took her leave together with Neku, walking out into the cool refreshing air. The Shibuyan night was dotted with a multitude of street and neon lights, which looked pretty in her fuzzy vision. Afraid that she would collapse, she clutched his arm with an iron grip while he hailed a cab. Once Shiki gave the directions to the driver, she plopped her head onto her lover's lap, resting and half-asleep as they were driven to their destination.

Throughout the ride, not a word was spoken; they were tired and needed a break from the hullabaloo that their friends had caused. _Hope they don't get arrested,_ thought Neku as he stroked her hair languidly, enjoying the warmth of her cheek when he stroked it gently with the back of his hand.

A little smile formed on Shiki's lips as she let him pamper her. And because she wouldn't be able to see him all the time until he graduated, she made very sure to fully enjoy every moment that they shared. She learnt that life simply couldn't be taken for granted anymore.

XOXOXOXOXO

Before she knew it, they had arrived at her apartment, and simply concentrating on doing such a simple task as unlocking the front door took a Herculean effort. _I swear I'm never going to drink again…_ she thought miserably, remembering how Eri goaded her into taking a sip of _sake_, then another and another until she became substantially drunk. _Never again. I'm never bowing down to peer pressure ever again!_

She muttered a curse when her hands slipped and dropped the keys. Her foggy mind was making it hard to do anything! Neku picked up the keys from the floor just as she was about to bend down to retrieve them. "I'll help," he said, smiling slightly. "Which key is it?"

"Um… The one marked '1'." Shiki tugged on his sleeve gently. "I'm sorry… I must look like an idiot right now…"

"Aw, Shiki, don't say that," said Neku, struggling with the lock. "You know how hard it can be to do anything with any amount of booze in your system. And I've seen worse cases. At least you still look cute even when you're drunk."

Shiki beamed and dug her head into his shoulder. "That was either sweet or way too corny," she said, her mood uplifted, "But… thanks, Neku."

"Ladies first." He opened the door, allowing her to enter before he followed suit. "So this is where you stay, huh, Shiki?" The furnishing was Spartan. There were the bare essentials like tables and chairs and a small kitchen, but apart from some extra knick-knacks meant to spruce up the place, there wasn't anything else. _Nice décor_, he noted, grimacing at the abstract painting on the wall. _Nice… but freaky._

"Well, here's my room," said Shiki, taking the bunch of keys from Neku and unlocking her door, with better luck this time. "We could talk in the living room, but…" She started to blush. "…I think we'll find things more comfortable where I sleep."

"Oh yeah," whistled Neku. _Whew, she's hot. Just the way I like her._

In the safety and privacy of Shiki's room, with the door firmly locked and bolted, she immediately gave Neku a big hug. "I can't say enough how much I missed you, Neku. There are so many things I want to talk about…So many things I want to do with you…"

"The whole time I was in the States, I couldn't wait to come back and see you in person." Neku held her close and caressed her back, the material of her little black dress taut against her body. He traced the subtle ridges of her spine, of her scapulas… She had a most beautiful body…

"I couldn't really find out more about you back at the sushi bar," said Shiki, "Let's talk. Can we talk on the bed? I'm… feeling a little woozy from the _sake_."

"Are you okay?" Neku asked, concerned, as she lay down on the bed, massaging her temples with her fingers.

"I should be fine with a little rest," muttered Shiki, moving aside a little so that Neku could climb in bed and lay next to her. The bed was small and meant for a single person, but both of them could just about squeeze into it. Of course, the two of them had to stick quite close to each other, which was what they wanted anyway.

"Hey Neku, tell me about your experiences in the States… Any interesting stories? Apart from the ones you told us back at the bar."

"Only if you're interested," chuckled Neku. "I've got quite a few to tell… One of our lecturers was dismissed from the university. Turns out the old geezer was 'helping' one of the female students to get a good grade. No matter how you look at it, he was just…"

They talked and talked for what seemed like hours. The words just kept flowing and wouldn't stop; there was simply too much to say and so much more to discover about each other. Anecdotes about their university lives were exchanged, laughter was shared at the funnier stories, and grievances were met with incredulous remarks ("No way, Neku! How could they sell terrible food like that?"). They had a jolly good time just talking. And it was incredibly romantic just being able to be next to each other and forget all about their worries for a while, even if it's only one night.

"By the way, Shiki," said Neku, "Nice glasses. What happened to the ones with round lenses that you used to wear?"

"I had to make this new pair because my vision was starting to get fuzzy with the old one," answered Shiki, glad that he liked them. "So I thought, why not try a different style?"

"Rectangular lenses, huh… They work really well on you."

"Oh, thanks!" beamed Shiki. She gazed into Neku's blue eyes and studied every feature of his face, and the first thing that came to mind was, _He's so beautiful… His hair may not be the same, but it's like his face hasn't changed at all…_ For her, this was a good thing.

"Shiki? You're spacing out."

"Sorry… I was just…" She paused for a moment, Neku clinging onto what she wanted to say. "Well… um… can you kiss me?"

"I'm more than happy to." He rolled over on top of her and propped himself up on his elbows, wasting no time losing himself in the sweet taste of her lips. For six months the only kisses they shared were the ones they typed at the end of their e-mails or chat sessions. But the real thing was leagues better, to be certain. Deprived of such intimacy for so long, they found their kisses growing hotter and hungrier…

Eventually, Neku himself broke apart to gasp for air. The rush of their first kiss in what seemed like ages was exhilarating. With a significant amount of lust now coursing through them, it didn't take long for that other thing that they wanted to do to pop up in their minds…

"Hey, Shiki… you wanna… I mean… could we…?"

"Oh, Neku…"

"I'm not exactly sober, so I wouldn't force you…" said Neku, touching his forehead against Shiki's. "But if you're willing…"

Shiki simply whispered, "I'm yours tonight."

"…Well, then I'm yours too."

"Oh, wait," she said, getting out of bed and walking over to her dressing table. Her soft toy, Mr Mew, was sitting on top. She turned it around so that it faced the wall, away from the bed.

"I'd feel awkward if I knew that Mr Mew was watching us getting it on," she explained, with a slightly embarrassed giggle. "I mean, sure, he's just a soft toy, but…"

"I think I get what you feel," said Neku, eyebrows arched in amusement. "It's like those portraits with eyes that seem to follow you around."

Shiki smiled and rejoined him on the bed. "I'm glad you understand me!"

She had been aching to touch him again, to kiss him with tongues, to experience anew the rush of conjugation with him… to show him just how much she missed and _loved, loved, loved_ him. With quickening breath, she kissed him again. Hormones started to rush throughout her system at breakneck speeds. Her skin, her nerves, her body… were tingling with gratification from Neku's gentle touches… and that was when she knew she had bought herself a one-way ticket to an intensely wonderful night.

"Mmm… Neku…" Shiki moaned as his lips traveled around her face, kissing her skin lightly. Eventually his mouth found its way to her neck, nuzzling her seductively. Now that she was seriously turned on, there would be no turning back. She slowly loosened the zip hidden at the side of her dress, and once the straps slipped off her shoulders she forced it down her body, with Neku helping to pull it off.

Clothes could make a person feel good about oneself, but taking them off felt even better.

Neku, now straddling Shiki, threw her dress aside, his eyes focused on her half-naked body. That bra… those panties… they were so cute yet so seductive. Now it was his turn to undress. Shiki watched in awe as he peeled off his shirt to reveal an upper body which was decidedly more muscular than when he left Japan six months earlier.

"You work out back in the States, Neku?" she said, smiling approvingly.

"Yeah, I hit the gym about twice a week. Glad you like it!"

In a flash he was out of his trousers, and no matter how many times they saw each other naked, Shiki would still blush madly at the sight of his erection poking against his underwear, wanting out. Something about it was so embarrassing to her. This was why she preferred to hide it where it should belong… in the one place that nature had designed it for…

Neku knelt at the foot of the bed, between her lithe legs. He savoured the sight of her womanly curves, her flawless skin… and it was incredibly exciting looking at her youthful body wrapped in only her underwear. She looked so beautiful, so pure, that it almost made him feel guilty to have to dirty her with his lust-filled actions… almost.

"You're gorgeous…" was all he could say, in a ragged breath. "You look as good as when we first met."

"Th-Thank you…" gulped Shiki, blushing even more. _That boyish charm of his… He's such a sweet talker…_

Neku's fingers pinched the sides of her underwear, and with purposeful slowness, he pulled it away from her hips, inch by inch. Excitement was building up inside him as her crotch threatened to peek out from the top of her panties. She giggled from his light touch; so sensitive was she. Helping to move things along, she reached behind her back to unhook her strapless bra, growling sexily to get his attention. When he looked up, she flung it in his face with a cheeky grin. Stunned for a moment, he then narrowed his eyes in mock annoyance, causing her to giggle some more.

"Hmmm," Neku wondered aloud, his gaze quickly snapping to her petite bare breasts, "shall I throw my underwear at your face too?"

"Heck no," Shiki laughed. "That's disgusting. I can do that to you, but not the other way around."

"Ooh, looks like the whole gender bias thing is still going strong."

"You bet!"

Neku rolled his eyes to the heavens as Shiki chuckled at his reaction. Unable to contain himself, he gave up the slow act and yanked her panties off in a flourish. There was not a single hair surrounding her privates, glistening like the ocean on a lovely summer day.

He sidled up to sit beside Shiki and laid a comforting hand on her head.

"N-Neku?" She wondered what was going on in his mind right now. The smirk on his face always meant that he had something in store for her. Her heart beat faster in anticipation.

True enough he did have something for her. And the way he carried it out was so poetic, so flowing… that it almost seemed like an ode to their eventual and inevitable union. The flower between her legs was waiting so long to be pollinated once more. But before that could happen, he plunged his fingers gently and directly inside. Her moans were so beautiful as he peeled away the petals one by one and found his way into the centre, where he lost no time massaging her from within.

Soft whimpers of delight from Shiki filled the air as he continued to stroke her ever so slowly to prolong her torture. And how sweet it was. Her lust and yearning for Neku, in the form of viscous nectar, was oozing out of her and lubricating his hand. Many times in their relationship they had shared and enjoyed this little sacred ritual, to ready themselves for the final act. But having been separated from each other for so long without physical contact of any kind, it felt like they were doing it for the very first time. Needless to say it was amazing, just like the first time too.

Neku continued to deflower her with his deft fingers, growing impatient to hear her cry of ecstasy. But no, he had to hold back on his primal urges. Slow and steady was the way to go. If he waited the reward would be even greater. Never once did they ever forgo foreplay, as it was important for them mentally, spiritually and physically. The longer they spent arousing each other, the stronger their bond became. Over the years, this bond grew especially strong, so it was easy to imagine how skilled both of them were in delivering pleasure to each other.

Shiki closed her eyes to fully relish the sensations that Neku was bestowing upon her. He wasn't too slow that it felt like nothing was happening, but not too fast either that she would lose control of herself. He had just about the right speed… and it was heating her up gradually, building up slowly to the climax. That was how things should be like.

Still, she knew that it wouldn't take too long before she would lose it altogether. "Neku… Hnngh… More… I can't take it anymore…"

Neku simply smiled. He knew she was ready to go. And with that, he slipped his fingers out, glazed with honey which he licked off of his fingers cleanly. She had this most irresistible taste, hard to describe with words alone but it was akin to a cross between sea salt and a really sweet citrus fruit, what kind he couldn't put his finger on. But in any case she tasted fantastic. And he wanted more. A lot more.

It would only get better. Positioning himself before her, he parted Shiki's shivering legs. She braced herself.

He sealed his lips over her opening, scorching hot to the touch and dripping profusely. She cried out in joy as he began sucking and licking her from the inside and giving her what she wanted. More of her juices trickled into his mouth, which he lapped up with feverish greediness. His tongue traced all around her inner walls, making sure nothing was left untouched. Of course, this only served to heighten Shiki's pleasure, giving him the opportunity to drink more from her.

There was only so much Shiki could handle before she could take it no longer. Eventually, unable to hold back on her impending orgasm, she let it go. And her shrill voice pierced the air, like exquisite music to Neku's ears.

"Uhh… Ah… Aaaah!"

Her back arched away painfully from the bed and her head snapped backwards. A copious amount of nectar burst out of her opening and splashed into Neku's eager waiting mouth. By instinct, her legs closed in on his head, and she thought in fear that she might crush him. She could do nothing for herself, only cry out to channel away pent-up energy as pure bliss enveloped her body. Trapped in Neku's embrace, she was helpless to do anything for herself but to let him satisfy his insatiable hunger…

Of course, she enjoyed every bit of it as he gathered up every last drop out of her.

Oral intercourse never felt so good.

Her cries petered out into weak whimpers as Neku finally pried his mouth away from her metaphorical flower, which was moist, red and slightly sore. She watched Neku lick her fluids away from his hand, slightly repulsed by his perverse actions. "Do I taste that great?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Strawberries can be very tasty and succulent," was Neku's ambiguous reply.

"What, so I taste like strawberries?" snorted Shiki, amused. "I don't know whether to be flattered or disgusted."

"Doesn't really matter now, does it?" said Neku, grinning with a naughty glint in his eye. "You enjoyed it either way."

"Heh… that's true… I loved it. It was awesome."

"Nothing compared with what's coming, Shiki," snarled Neku, bending over to briefly lick her neck. "Can you stand?"

"Uh? I think I can… Why?"

"Just do it. I wanna try something with you."

Exactly what was it that he had in mind now? Neku had always been quick to try new things. With an adventurous spirit that was hard to suppress, he wasn't one for following the norm, always breaking tradition, never conforming to it. They already made love in a forest. She was curious to see if he could outdo himself.

Neku helped her to her feet and pinned her against the wall on the opposite side of the room. She was standing trapped between the wall behind her and her lover in front, whose close proximity to her was enough to make her heart beat so, so fast. As they stared fixated into each other's souls, and eventually got to kissing again, he stripped off his underwear which he kicked across the floor. Perfectly naked now, they were more than prepared to undergo the final act.

As usual, Shiki refused to look at his... well, she just didn't feel at ease staring down the barrel of a loaded gun which was itching to go off at any moment. To prevent herself from accidentally seeing it again, she flung her arms around Neku's neck and just busied herself with chewing his lips to mincemeat.

Meanwhile, despite the unbearable stiffness in his manhood, Neku did his best to fight back the irresistible urge to quickly satisfy his basic instincts. He had to play with her first…

He lay his hands on the sides of Shiki's breasts, which were squashed against his chest as she held him close. Being very ticklish, she shuddered and gave a goofy muffled giggle when he brushed against them. _Is it just me_, thought Neku, as he traced the outline of her chest, _or has she grown bigger since I left?_ He didn't mind at all, though. They were still the right size: not too small that she was completely flat-chested, nor too large that they were an eyesore to look at.

His lips wandered off from hers and settled on her neck again, where he proceeded to trail his tongue on her skin. Slowly. Deliciously. At the same time he let his roving hands work their magic on her nerve endings. Down from the chest to the ribs, then to the waist and the hips. Her skin was smooth like silk, especially between her legs, which she made a point to keep hair-free. He brushed his hand lightly over her wet crotch, eliciting a shiver of delight from Shiki. She was groaning loudly as he continued to fondle her, always a good sign that he was on the right track.

Shiki could hardly keep up with his pace, though she was trying her best. Again and again he glided his hands over her entire body, enjoying the texture of her skin. And she lolled her head backwards as far as she could so that his tongue could explore more of her neck. Her love fluids were dribbling out of her birth canal and pouring slowly down her legs...

"Neku, please…" She was near breaking point. "Love me… Love me like you did during our first time together…"

Neku would have very much liked to fulfill her request – and his – but he wasn't quite done with her yet. "I will get to that… in a moment."

"No!" squeaked Shiki, sweating like there was no tomorrow. "Hurry! I… Now… I'm… I need your…Eraaagh!" She was cut short when she felt his fingers play around with her throbbing slit once more.

"Good things come to those who wait," smirked Neku coolly, though he was as impatient as she was.

"Rrgh… Neku…!"

Stimulated to her limit, she began to experience even greater spasms. She knew that if she couldn't get what she wanted soon, she'd have to use force… Again she had pleaded with him, but again he had refused, choosing to tickle her navel instead. In retaliation, she chomped down on his shoulder a fit of frustration and repressed urges.

"O-Ow!" Neku felt her jaws bite down, and it was painful. Shiki let go in an instant, immediately regretting what she just did.

"I-I'm sorry, Neku," she breathed, looking at the bite mark that she left. "D-Does it hurt? I'm really sorry!"

"It stings a little, but I don't mind," said Neku, gracious as ever and gentlemanly enough not to hurt her feelings. "In fact, that's… kinky. Wow, you're really brave. I think that's hot."

"Think what you want later," she panted, as Neku stubbornly continued to short her senses with his electrifying touch. By now her legs were practically drenched in slime. Some of it had even collected in a small pool on the tiled floor by her feet. "Neku, you have to do it… Please… Agh… I can't…"

He enjoyed the way Shiki was quivering and shuddering from sporadic spasms, and crying out without a care for the world, begging him to sate her urgent desires. Having decided that Shiki had enough of sweet torture, he coaxed her legs apart so that her waiting crotch was free from any obstacles.

Neku directed his rock-hard length right at Shiki's gate, but as they had never tried making love standing up, he wasn't too sure about how to go about it. Eventually though, after some trial and error, he found the correct way. Because he was taller than Shiki, he had to bend his knees in order to position himself at the right place. And when all was said and done, he gradually stood up, closing the gap between them in the process.

The first thought that came to his mind was, _Holy smoke, she's still as nice and tight as ever…_ Wasting no more time, he plunged the rest of the way, thoroughly enjoying the red-hot friction as much as Shiki did.

"Oh, god!" Shiki shrieked, more of her juices oozing out of her. "Neku, oh I love you!"

"This might be the hard part," he grunted. "Shiki, hold on to me!"

She wrapped her arms around Neku's neck as firmly as she could possibly manage, and when he was sure that she had a stable grip on him, he hoisted her up by the armpits, sliding her up along the wall as he straightened his knees fully. Her feet came off the ground, and Neku had to push his whole body against hers to keep her from slipping. His face had sunken into the valley between her breasts, using them as a pillow of sorts.

"Shiki," he huffed and puffed, from his exertions. "Think you can wrap your legs around me?"

She was delirious, her mind and soul swimming around in a sort of imaginary utopia. "This is… getting so… bizarre… Oooh… Let me try…" With a bit of luck, she succeeded in enfolding both of her legs around his body. She squeezed him, pulling him closer and nearly dying of shock when the entire length of his manhood penetrated well within her and tickled her insides. Neither had any clue that he could reach so deep inside, and they were pleasantly shocked at this revelation.

Everything seemed to be in order. Now it was a relatively simple matter of reaching their ultimate goal of sweet release.

"We look like acrobats having sex like this," muttered Shiki, panting and sweating.

"You're very flexible, Shiki… Well, let's do it."

The rhythm was uneven at first, being unused to this strange new method of lovemaking. They eventually realized that to make any progress they had to synchronise their movements. Whenever Neku pushed upwards, Shiki would press down on him to create that oh-so-amazing resistance in her inner walls. And when he pulled downwards, she would relax and wait for his next thrust. To get used to it, they went slow and steady, but before long, they were moving faster.

"Aaah…! Oh my god, Neku, I'm on fire!"

"Yes… Shiki… You're so… Ungh!"

"More, Neku… MORE!" she cried, half-insane as she tightened her legs around him.

Supporting Shiki's weight was a difficult task to carry out for even a minute, and they had already gone past two. Neku feared that his legs wouldn't be able to hold up for much longer. Playtime was over, he decided. Now it was time for the true highlight of the event.

With brutal thrusts he tore right into her, causing intensely satisfying waves of joy to ripple throughout every part of their bodies. Close to exhaustion, Shiki couldn't react to him anymore, instead letting him push her hard, hard, hard while she sat helpless and high up on the wall.

And before they knew it, they were rewarded. With the carnal bliss of orgasm.

"AAAAGH…! Neku…! Oh my g – AAAH!" screamed Shiki, feeling her walls pulsate and chew down on her partner's wonderfully hard shaft. By reflex, her limbs grasped Neku even tighter than before and she clawed his hair to shreds as her body convulsed uncontrollably. Her hips bucked and trembled violently as she cleansed the rigid length inside of her with a deluge of bodily fluids. Her senses were fried to crispy perfection, and the air was laced with her beautiful sobs of unabashed joy.

Neku could sense the familiar rush of the onset of ejaculation. As though time had stopped, he froze in his spot as he awaited the final moment. He didn't wait long. A low garbled sound emerged from Neku's mouth as he climaxed two seconds after Shiki did. Grunting in ecstasy, he let loose inside her a great abundance of thick, rich and nutritious semen. This gift of his she accepted graciously and allowed to fill her up. She gasped in a mixture of raw lust and long-lost elation as she could almost feel his warm liquids splattering against her inner walls.

Together, in one voice, both of them shouted into the air. Then all too soon, after the last few strokes and the final tremors of delight, they began to grow weak and slow down. Their breathing was heavy and laboured as they stayed connected to each other like some sort of peculiar contortionist performance.

Shiki, still clinging onto Neku and suspended in the air, whispered into his ear, "Can I come down?"

"Oh… that's right." With utmost care, he made her unwrap her tired legs from his body and helped set her feet back down on the ground. Her body quivered one final time as he pulled himself out of her slowly, a thin sliver of his seed forming a waning bridge between his length and her opening. Some of the semen he deposited inside her seeped out of her womanly gate in a gooey milky mass, making a mess as it joined the juices on the floor. She didn't care, though. She could always clean it up later.

Back on the bed, they just lay motionless, too burnt-out to say or do anything except catch their breath. Shiki draped herself over Neku, resting her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat.

"This feels so wonderful," she sighed at last, with a dreamy look on her face as she traced circles on his chest with her index finger. "I could do this again and again."

"Yeah… Like some Cirque du Erotica or something."

Shiki chuckled. Then she said, "Oh, Neku... I'm so glad we can be together like this… It's almost like we're husband and wife."

Neku lifted her head by the chin and brought their lips together, enjoying a warm, lust-free kiss. "Shiki…" he breathed, breaking away. "After we graduate… after our studies are done and over with, and we have stable jobs…"

"Mmm?"

"…will you marry me?"

Shiki gasped and looked up into his eyes. "Neku… I'm so happy you asked me this question, but I'm afraid I can't give you a straight answer with such a foggy head…"

"Ah, I understand," said Neku, smiling kindly. "Can't blame you… It's hard to think coherently when we've blown our brains out earlier. I mean, wow, you're really something."

Shiki smiled. "You're not too shabby either… honey."

"'Honey'? Does that translate to 'yes, you'll marry me'?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," teased Shiki, giving him a mischievous wink, before she dozed off in his arms, happy and contented.

XOXOXOXOXO

It was morning when Shiki awoke from slumber. Groggy with sleep in her eyes and her privates still tingling from last night, she moaned as she snuggled up against her lover. "Mmm… Neku… good – "

When she opened her eyes, however, only a large bolster lay wedged underneath her. Neku had disappeared. " – morning?"

She pushed away the bolster, slightly damp and sticky from sweat and semen that had oozed out of her privates overnight. _Maybe he's gone back home,_ she thought, sitting up in bed and covering herself partially with her sheets. The events of the previous night were so unbelievably good, and the action was so romantic yet intense, that she couldn't help grinning to herself. Neku could be so ferocious…

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a small note on the bedside table. Putting on her glasses, she found it to read:

_Good morning Shiki,_

_Sorry I can't accompany you for much longer but I gotta get back home for a while. Let's meet up again soon, 'kay?_

_Love,_

_Neku_

_PS You're an incredible woman, Shiki. Especially last night… *wink*_

Shiki laughed. "Oh, Neku, you tease…"

He was the perfect boyfriend. The only one she ever had in her entire life, but also the only one she would ever need. He was brave and determined, never one to fear the setbacks that may come to him, and best of all he truly loved and cared for her.

_He asked me to marry him_, she thought, _but it's still too early to decide… Though it's true that I love him and would very much like to stay with him forever…_

_Neku, take your time. Take however much time you need to graduate, to get a stable source of income for your family… I'll be waiting for you. Always. When you're ready, let us live together as a married couple and find our happiness…_

She gave herself a gentle slap on the cheek. "Geez, what am I thinking, getting all emotional and poetic? I have to get dressed and clean up this mess before Eri comes in."

Unfortunately, without warning, the door opened. It was Eri and she was clutching her head in pain. "Ugh… I've got a splitting headache… Stupid hangovers! Shiki, do you have any medicine for my head that I could –"

She stopped in her tracks the moment she laid her eyes on her friend, who was sitting in bed naked, hair in disarray, with a blanket pulled up coyly to her chest. On top of that, her clothes were scattered everywhere, so unlike neat, tidy, organised Shiki. A war zone would look neater than her room.

Shiki blushed and gulped. "Um, g-good morning?"

The eyes in Eri's head had grown so wide. For a moment, she forgot about her headache. It took her a while to regain her train of thoughts. "Oh… Um, gee. _Wow_." She was giggling with a knowing look on her face, emphasizing on the "Wow".

Realising that she might have understood what had happened, Shiki blurted, "Eri! It's… It's not what you think it is!"

"Sorry, but I think I do," replied Eri, chuckling at this denial in the face of such glaring obviousness. "You're lying in bed without your clothes on… they're in a mess on the floor… I think it's easy to tell what you were up to last night… especially when you and Neku were the first ones to leave!"

"N-No, you got it all wrong. I was just trying something different," protested Shiki, though the deep blush on her face had already spilled the truth for her. "I'd never tried sleeping naked before. Wanted to give it a shot to see how it felt like. Get your mind out of the gutter, Eri. It's not like I invited him over or anything."

"What, really? That's all?" pressed Eri, a bit too eager for Shiki's taste. "You mean all the moans and cries I heard coming from this room didn't count?"

Shiki shuddered. "What? Since when did you come back home? You were supposed to be with Beat and Rhyme."

"Yes, but I was already feeling queasy, so I headed back first. Oh, Shiki, let me tell you… I was getting goosebumps in my room listening to the two of you in action. Whatever you guys did last night… it must have been pretty good. You were practically screaming your head off, yelling Neku's name over and over…" Recalling what she witnessed, even Eri was developing a reddish tint on her cheeks.

No amount of lying could save her now. With the truth out in the open, the best she could do was get Eri to cooperate. "Okay, fine! I admit it. Sorry, Eri, I know this is our apartment, but despite that knowledge, I brought Neku home, and we had sex. And if it satisfies your curiosity, it was amazing. Okay? Happy?"

"Ah, I knew it!" Eri crossed her arms in a display of victory.

"But listen Eri!" snapped Shiki, "You're not gonna tell this to anyone, alright? Not a single soul!"

"You mean I can't even tell Beat and Rhyme that you and Neku had wild s–"

"For Pete's sake, no!" she yelped, "Rhyme will get a heart attack! And as for Beat, well… let's not talk about that right now. What's this you said about medicine?"

"Never mind," said Eri, still giggling, "I'm all good… My headache doesn't feel so bad, now that I've got some delicious new information about you two that I simply need to go over and digest… Hee hee…"

"I'm warning you!" yelled Shiki, more than a bit irritated. "You are to keep your lips sealed and –" Eri backed away and closed the door with a soft _click_, laughing softly to herself.

"Hey! Eri, are you listening? Get back here!"


End file.
